







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I wish you all the best. | |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | |
| Is that you, Mike? | |
| Hey, Cate! Do you need anything? | |
| I hate taking long flights! | |
| I'm a web designer. | |
| My cat is in the garden. | |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | |
| I guess so, but I want to finish seeing all the houses today. | |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | |